Jared Dines “It’s fun to write songs even if people can’t take me seriously.”

YouTube star Jared Dines is known equally for his quirky comedy and god-like guitar skills. He took a break from shredding to have a chat to SoundReview about his latest output, and believe me there is a lot to talk about.

Jared Dines on the path to The Dark and The Light

The big news currently is Jared’s pair of solo EPs, The Dark and The Light. The first EP came out in September and a little over a month later he dropped the follow-up. Considering he is the only musician who appears on both releases, that’s quite a feat. He’s currently about 1700 subscribers shy of hitting the one million mark on YouTube, so more and more metal fans are taking notice.

Both EPs are a mix of classic metalcore in the vein of Parkway Drive and Killswitch Engage, but with a modern, more intense edge to it. Anyone who’s ever watched a Jared Dines video knows he’s not gonna forget about dat djent. His ridiculous guitar skills also help make his material stand-out from the crowd.

You’re working on a number of projects. What made you want to release a solo EP?

“It’s been something I have been wanting to do for a long time. Obviously, I am more known for my comedy work, but I’ve been playing serious music for years before all that and I still have that desire to create something serious. I will probably make more as time goes on.”

Do you think you’ll make further solo releases? Have you considered making a full-length?

“Yeah, I think so. It’s a lot of fun for me to mix it up and write serious songs. Even if people can’t take me seriously. My next release might be a full length album. We shall see!”

Did you play all the instruments for the EPs? If so was it stressful taking on such a huge project?

“Yes, I performed all the instrumentation and vocals on The Dark and The Light EPs. Both were mixed by Johnny Franck (the former guitarist and vocalist of Attack Attack!). It wasn’t really stressful for me. I like having complete freedom to write in whatever direction I want. Doing the whole thing myself, I was allowed that freedom.”

Rest, Repose coming to an end, two releases in the pipeline

Jared Dines is also known for his role as sticksman and songwriter for stoner metal outfit Rest, Repose. Featured in the line-up is fellow YouTube guitar identify Fluff. Jared speaks below about how the pair have had a falling out however, resulting in the final Rest, Repose album being split into two releases.

Rest, Repose.

Rest, Repose have told fans their final album will now come in the form of two releases, due to songwriting ‘licensing and ownership’. Can you explain a little more about the reason behind splitting the album in two?

“Basically I wrote about seven songs on the album and Fluff wrote about four. So, the plan was I would release mine and he would release his. The reason behind the separate albums is basically because of a falling out between Fluff and myself. There’s a lot to it but I don’t want to talk bad about the guy. He can be very self-destructive at times.”

Now that Rest, Repose is coming to an end, will you increase your solo output or start another project?

“Probably, yeah. Even in Rest, Repose I wrote 7 of the 10 songs we were going to use on the record. I love songwriting. I think it’s one of my favourite things to do even more than playing. It’s like putting together a puzzle, and once it’s done you can step back and take it all in.”

Touring commitments play a role in demise of Rest, Repose

Were you one of the Rest, Repose members who were not in a position to commit to regular touring? Can you talk about how that played a role in the band’s break up?

“I definitely felt that way. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t commit, it was more that I felt it wasn’t the right thing for me to pursue at the time. The other guys were really pushing it hard to become a career. Something they could do for the next 5 or 10 years. I really enjoy my life now and I have good things going for me. I didn’t want to put that all on hold to see if this band would HOPEFULLY make it. I just wasn’t passionate enough about it to commit to that level of intensity.”

How far away will the Rest, Repose album releases be?

“I can’t say as of right now. Could be a couple months or longer.”

Jared Dines on classic metalcore and brutal deathcore

What are some of the bands and musicians which are inspiring you the most at present?

“I like all kinds of bands in all different styles. Killswitch Engage is great mature metalcore with killer hooks. Parkway Drive is like a freight train with how much power is in their music. Then bands like Whitechapel and Slaughter to Prevail are just massively brutal with great vocals.”

What’s your favourite piece of guitar gear at the moment?

“I am really enjoying my Kiesel LPM guitar right now. It just plays so flawless. As far as gear goes, I don’t use much. I’ve never been much of a pedal kind of guy.”

What instrument (vocals included) do you spend the most time playing overall? Why do you tend to gravitate towards that more?

“Probably guitar. Although if I had my drum kit at my house I would probably play that just as much. I’d say it’s a toss up between those two.”

Finding The Clown on The Dark EP

What are the lyrics of The Clown about?

“The ‘Clown’ is an analogy for fear. It’s basically saying how fear can be very controlling, and yet we have the power to control our fears. Once we realize that we can learn to face and beat our fears. For me personally, I have been afraid of clowns since I was a kid. So I thought the title was appropriate.”

What’s your favorite song off The Dark and why is it your favorite?

“I really like Demogorgon and Afraid To Die. I think these two are written the best as far as song structure goes. There are a lot of dynamics to both of them and I was really happy with the riffs I came up with for them.”

What has fan reaction been like to the EP material so far?

“I think the majority really enjoy it. People will always have different taste in music, but I’d say at least 90% of my audience has received it very well.”

Have you ever played the material from your solo EPs live? Is that a possibility?

“I have not. Maybe someday if I get a band together, but that’s not a top priority for me at the moment. I have other things to focus on right now.”